3D Printed Spine

A 12-year old cancer patient is the recipient of the world’s first prosthetic vertebrae to be fabricated using 3D printing. During surgery to remove a malignant tumor from his spinal cord, several of the boy’s vertebrae needed to be removed. So doctors created a design based on his actual bone structure to produce a customized spinal implant that will integrate more naturally with the rest of his spine.

The artificial bones are made with titanium powder for superior strength, and contain tiny pores that enable bones to grow into them. This alleviates the need to use cement and screws to hold them in place, and makes the entire implant more secure.

Although this is the first vertebral implant to be fabricated in this manner, other successful orthopedic transplants using 3D printing have included a jawbone and an artificial hip.